I taught Advanced World Geography for 32 years and coached alongside it. Both jobs taught me the same thing: know the material, have a plan before it matters, and be ready to adjust when something goes sideways.
I opened Travel By Cook in Keller back in 2024, and since then I've helped folks across Dallas–Fort Worth plan cruises, all-inclusive resorts, Europe trips, and Disney vacations — basically anywhere the details actually matter.
I don't start by handing you a stack of brochures. Tell me who's going, what you want to spend, how you want the week to feel, and what would ruin it — then I narrow it down to two or three that actually fit.
- I Narrow Instead of List
You won't get a spreadsheet of forty options. I usually come back with two or three, along with what I like about each and what you'd be giving up with each choice.
- I'll Tell You When the Answer Is No
Sometimes that means telling you the cheaper week is a gamble, or that the drink package won't pay for itself the way you actually drink. Sometimes it means telling you to book the cruise line's own excursion instead of the independent one - even though the independent one pays me more. Either way, you hear it before you book, not after.
- You Have My Number
Call or text me anytime - before, during, or after the trip - at 682-337-9466. You're dealing with one person who already knows your trip, not whoever picks up next.
Cruises and resort packages don't cost you anything extra to plan. Custom itineraries sometimes carry a research fee, but I'll tell you the number before I start.
Read the full version, including what I'm not → Meet Robert - How Working with Me Works
As a CLIA Certified Cruise Counselor, I help you sort through that, and when I can, get you an actual cabin number instead of a category and a guess, which mostly matters because it means I know things like which decks feel the motion, which cabins sit under the pool deck, and when it's worth asking for a price adjustment before final payment.
The right cruise isn't always the newest ship or the cheapest fare — it comes down to things like cabin location, port times, dining and entertainment, and which line's personality actually fits how you travel.
Two resorts on the same stretch of beach can be totally different trips — one has a quiet pool and easy dinner reservations, the other's got a DJ at 2 p.m. and a 7 a.m. line at the concierge desk.
Tell me who's coming and what would ruin the trip for you. I'll narrow it to two or three, from Cancún and the Riviera Maya to Punta Cana, Jamaica and Los Cabos — most of them nonstop from DFW in under four hours.
Four Easy All-Inclusive Getaways From DFW
Sandals - What to expect
Sandals Resorts - Adult Only All-Inclusive
Sandals Resorts - What is not included
Planning Europe usually isn't about picking where to go — it's figuring out how much actually fits in the time you've got.
I map out the route first, then handle the hotels, trains, and transfers that have to be locked in months ahead. I'd rather cut a city off the list than have you spend half the trip checking in and out of hotels.
I spent more than three decades around kids. I know "family friendly" can mean very different things when one kid is nine and the other's fifteen.
For Disney and Universal, that means knowing which resort, ticket option, and dining plan actually make sense for your family — and hitting the booking windows before they close.
Neither Disney nor Universal charge a planning fee for this. My planning is free on these bookings, same as cruises and resorts.
The parks look different when you're not the one driving.
Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon all sit close enough to the rails that the train becomes part of the trip — plus rail-and-sail options through Alaska and glass-domed journeys through the Canadian Rockies.
Most of my clients could book this themselves. It's really about whether you want to spend your own time figuring out which details matter.
A cabin under the pool deck. A resort with the wrong beach. A non-refundable rate that looked $200 cheaper. An itinerary with one city too many. Those are the things I catch before you book — and if your trip's simple enough that you don't need me, I'll tell you that too.
I can sometimes get you a resort credit, a room upgrade, or onboard credit — not on every trip, but often enough to be worth asking.
Still have questions? Read the Travel Advisor FAQ - FAQ's - Know before you go
1. Tell me about the trip. A short form or a 20–30 minute call. Dates, budget, who's going, how you like to travel, and what would ruin it. A rough idea is enough.
2. I narrow the choices. I research the trip and usually come back within a couple of days with two or three options, real pricing, and honest notes on the tradeoffs.
3. You choose and I handle the booking. I take care of the booking, confirmations, payment deadlines, and travel documents. Before you leave, you'll know what you need, where you need to be, and who to call if something changes.
4. Your documents arrive before you go. A complete packet several weeks before departure, plus an app-based itinerary you can pull up without a signal.
5. I'm reachable while you're gone. Before, during, and after.
The Full Process, Step by Step
Things I've Learned the Hard Way
I've made some travel mistakes myself, watched clients dodge some others, and picked up the kind of details that only show up once you're already on the trip.
Articles to help your future travels.
• Why I stopped using my debit card on a cruise ship
• What I wish I'd known about tipping
• Four easy escapes within four hours of DFW
• How to Avoid a Bad Cruise Cabin
• Is Travel Insurance Worth It?
Read the Travel Tips → Travel Tips and Tricks
What I pay attention to in my reviews isn't where people went. It's what happened when they had a question, needed help, or didn't know what to ask in the first place. For more reviews, please visit the review page by clicking the "Read More Reviews" button below.
5 Stars - Daniel D. (Google) - Travel By Cook was our first experience to use a travel agency. We found Robert Cook very thorough and attentive always available by text or phone delivering answers to our question along with answers to questions we didn’t think to ask! - All Inclusive Resort, Cancun, Mexico July 2026
5 Stars - Bryan M. (Yelp) - There are good travel agents & then there are EXCEPTIONAL travel agents! Bob is OUTSTANDING in everyway! ... New York City - Feb 2025
Contact Travel By Cook
Robert Cook — Travel Advisor Serving Keller, North Fort Worth & the DFW Metroplex
Call or text: 682-337-9466
Email: travelbycook@gmail.com
CLIA Certified Cruise Counselor | IATA | KHM Travel Group | Florida Seller of Travel ST37113
Keller, TX since 2024